WhiskerClan
by Youssy
Summary: Its Whisker meerkat life meets Warriors! I am inexperienced so please go easy on me. . This story focuses on young Bingtail as the WhiskerClan life tumbles around him.
1. Ominous Prophecy

The Gathering is here. The WhiskerClan, led by Rocketdogstar, charge down the ravine. They include Rocketdogstar, her deputy Dudleywind, the medicine kat Daisylove, the warriors Bingtail, Clivestripe, Pozzospeck, Shelleyheart, and Petrafang. The 2 apprentices are Izzypaw and Axlepaw, and the elder Youssarianwind.

The StarskyClan only have their leader, Kinkajoustar, her deputy, Carlosclaw, the medicine kat Shadyflight, and 2 warriors, Mozarttail and Delasoultail.

The CommandoezappaClan has their leader Hannibalstar, deputy Punkface, Lolafang, Nikitayelp, and Wilsontooth, in addition to the apprentice Rosepaw.

LazuliClan has Cazannastar their leader, Jdtail her deputy, Lallieleaf the medicine kat, Frannyslash, Arethatail, Landiecraft, Pancakewhisker, and Pennyheart, with the apprentices Bubblepaw, Squeakpaw, and Papillonpaw. Bigsihiss the elder is also there.

As the Gathering starts, Rocketdogstar steps onto the High Rock, flanked by the other leaders. She immediately calls out "We have scented both LazuliClan and CommandoezappaClan hunting on our territory!"

Hannibal snarled, his lips curled up. "We have no reason to hunt on your Clan's pitiful territory." Yowls of agreement rose from the CommandoezappaClan meerkats.

Cazannastar silently nodded and responded "We have allowed WhiskerClan warriors to hunt on LazuliClan grounds when WhiskerClan was suffering from a fire. It is time we have something back for LazuliClan's generosity. I do not want a war between the Clans; I will stop my warriors from hunting on rival territory."

StarskyClan leader Kinkajoustar spoke up "StarskyClan is nearly dead! We need more warriors but all of our kits have died of a mysterious disease!"

Cazannastar spoke gravely "We should have never tried to take the place of poor GattacaClan. It must be StarClan's objective to punish us for our misgivings and not following the proper warrior conduct. StarskyClan must be destined to destruction."

Gasps arose from the audience. Cazannastar was the oldest and wisest of the leaders, so much so that every meerkat respected her and her word. Kinkajoustar's jaw hung down, but she said nothing.

Mozarttail and Delasoultail shared a worried glance, while Carlosclaw remained, his gaze not betraying any emotion to what Cazannastar had said. Shadyflight was nodding slowly, his face pinched with worry.

Rocketdogstar spoke up once again "I notice CommandoezappaClan does not have their medicine kat here today. What has happened?"

Hannibalstar growled and replied, snarling "Ozzyfur is treating Grogpelt's recent injury, so he could not make it today. Grogpelt was hit by a car."

Rocketdogstar opened her mouth to say something, probably to bring up the stolen prey matter again, but Cazannastar interceded, shooting a glance at Rocketdogstar "We honor Grogpelt's honor to his Clan and hope he recovers soon to take part in CommandoezappaClan's activities."

Rocketdogstar once again spoke up "CommandoezappaClan have been scented on our territory. Particularly Grogpelt himself."

Hannibalstar replied, his voice dripping with that rusty tone, "Grogpelt is loyal. CommandoezappaClan honors LazuliClan's respect and good wishes for him. Grogpelt had been hit by a car on CommandoezappaClan territory, his nose was broken up. He could not determine the scent that marks out borders. Ozzyfur says his nose will recover fully."

"The Gathering is over. Let us return to our Clans." Cazannastar said, watching as the full moon began to fade into the other side of the sky.

The WhiskerClan warrior Bingtail said a quick good-bye to his StarskyClan buddy Mozarttail as he turned to leave. He caught up to Daisylove and gave her a quick lick behind the ear. The she-cat gave him a look of affection and surged onward next to Rocketdogstar. Bingtail watched, his thoughts whirling.

Daisylove was the most respected medicine kat out of all the Clans; she was eldest, like Cazannastar, and had the most experience. She herself had given pointers to Lallieleaf and Shadyflight, even Ozzyfur. But she was a medicine kat - she couldn't bear kits. At least Bingtail and Daisylove could still be friends.

As they surged into camp, Bingtail noticed Suggspaw and Busterpaw were missing. He strolled up to Rocketdogstar and said "Busterpaw and Suggspaw are missing..." Rocketdogstar looked at him a moment and then beckoned to Busterpaw's mentor Milleypelt. Dudleywind was Suggspaw's mentor, and he was naturally positioned right next to his leader.

"Have you any idea where Busterpaw or Suggspaw are?" she asked them. Dudleywind and Milleypelt didn't reply, but they both shook their heads. Dudleywind spoke up "I will order patrols to find them."

Rocetdogstar jumped onto Highbush, a tall drie doring shrub with unusually leafy branches that easily held her weight, and called out. "Busterpaw and Suggspaw are missing. Dudleywind was organized a patrol, led by himself and Milleypelt. Bingtail, Colombusclaw, and Pozzospeck will accompany them."


	2. Mounting Worries

-1Bingtail nodded and looked out for Dudleywind, who was already nearby Milleypelt and Colombusclaw. Pozzospeck was walking over there, too, so Bingtail trotted up. "I hope they're OK…" he started, nodding off as he saw the despair in Milleypelt's eyes. Busterpaw was not the brightest apprentice and often got himself into trouble without thinking. Milleypelt had had a rough time getting him ready to become a warrior, but it looked like he still didn't listen.

Dudleywind gave a gruff lead call and warily exited the ravine, which was surrounded by thorn shrubs. Under the High Bush, Rocketdogstar had her own little burrow with moss covering the entrance, while Dudleywind's was a few feet away. The warriors slept in a larger burrow with no moss. While Rocketdogstar's and Dudleywind's dens had thin, narrow tunnels, the warrior den had one large, rounded "room". The elders slept in the most comfortable of all, though the only elder currently was Youssarianwind. For now, with no other warm bodies, he slept with Rocketdogstar. When another senior warrior joins the elders, he would go sleep in an aboveground den, a rough, sketchy outside filled with thorn bushes. The inside was lined with moss completely. The nursery was similar, though there wasn't enough moss around and the queens slept on sand. Apprentices slept aboveground, too. Their den was shaped out of rock that was once loose sand. The first medicine kats ever figured out a way to speed the hardening of sand into rock in just a few minutes, so for some reason it was for a medicine kat to know, not normal warriors. Even Daisylove hadn't shared the secret with Bingtail. The apprentice den was shaped out of the hardened sand into a dome, with a thin entrance. Barbed wire from nearby farms was put onto the outside for protection. The inside was made of soft sand and was quite comfortable. And there was the medicine kat den. It was a solid rock cave, ingrained into the side of the ravine. It was away from the other dens, too. It drew deeply inside, and, as the floor was made of rock, Daisylove stored her herbs in the neat pockets on the floor, symmetrically apart from each other in distance. Daisylove herself slept in a moss-lined nest at the back of the cave.

Once outside the camp, Bingtail put his nose to good work. Almost immediately, he picked up the scents of Busterpaw and Suggspaw, leading to, Bingtail realized with a sense of dread, the Bighand place. Bighands were several eland-horn lengths bigger than a meerkat, though elands themselves were bigger, and nothing they did made sense. They had small camps of their own, but this was the only one near the Clan territories. Bighands rarely visit Clan territories, but all meerkats feared them. From the looks on the faces of the others, Bingtail knew they too had sensed where the rowdy apprentices had gone too.

Bighands kept animals for no reason. There were the goats, the cows, the yappers, the scratchers, and the horses, but rarely did they take meerkats. Still, it was not uncommon that you saw a tamekat wandering around in Bighand dens and camp. It wasn't impossible that Busterpaw and Suggspaw could be captured.

Dudleywind stopped scrounging around for more clues for a moment and looked around. The sun was nearly setting, and it was time to go back. Dudleywind said nothing, just chirped and walked back. Bingtail followed without protest.

When they reentered camp, Dudleywind went off to tell Rocketdogstar what they had gathered, while Colombusclaw and Milleypelt went to go to retire early. Pozzospeck touched Bingtail lightly with his tail and said quietly "You go visit Daisylove and tell her the news while I tell Rockysnap and Mangocry. Their kits will be apprentices soon, you know. After that we can hunt before it gets dark.", glancing at the puny gathered-food pile.

Bingtail nodded and blinked gratefully at Pozzospeck. He went off to go tell the bad news to Daisylove. He found her experimenting with an herb mixture. Instead of walking in, he sat and watched her. Her golden pelt danced in the fading light as she bustled around, gathering herbs from her stores.

Bingtail walked in and greeted her with a light purr. Daisylove looked up at him, affection shining in her eyes. She walked over and touched noses with him. "No luck?" she asked. Bingtail shook his head.

"Thanks for bringing me the news." Daisylove said, "Now go off. I know you have to hunt with Pozzospeck before the sun disappears." Bingtail swiped his head on her shoulder in a farewell and dashed out to meet Pozzospeck. Their was now only a small grub and two scorpions in the gathered-food pile near the leader's den. Bingtail realized uncomfortably that coolsand was coming to an end and the long and harsh freezesand was nearly upon the desert. The Clan needed this gathered-food. It was freezing; so much that Bingtail could have wished it was the hottest day in scorchsand.

As he and Pozzospeck exited the camp and headed to the west, where they bordered LazuliClan, Bingtail began to stop every few moments and dig rapidly into the sand. He caught two scorpions within minutes, and adding Pozzospeck's 3 beetles, they had a respectable catch so far.

WhiskerClan live in the southeast of Clan territory. To their north, StarskyClan defended a small territory that yielded little. Ultimately, the territory was the downfall of GattacaClan. StarskyClan territory is mostly empty desert with dunes to the north. LazuliClan live west of WhiskerClan and live in a forested area. They seek out mostly mice and lizards as prey, while StarskyClan thrive on their desert beetles and other bugs. CommandoezappaClan holds the northwestern territory. It is shrubby and hard to survive in. CommandoezappaClan mainly feed on scorpions and occasionally rats. WhiskerClan territory is not dry but not wet, it is in between and yields a large amount of prey.

After catching a lizard and uprooting a bird's next and capturing an egg, Bingtail returned home, his large catch in his mouth. Concern stabbed at him as he realized that the gathered-food pile was empty! Luckily, a patrol was just coming back with more prey. Pozzospeck, Bingtail, and the patrol deposited their prey in the pile.

Bingtail headed to the warrior den and settled himself inside, next to Milleypelt. Pozzospeck came in a moment afterwards and settled down beside him. Slowly Bingtail nodded off into a deep sleep.


End file.
